This whole thing started ’cause my knees kept killing me during dance practice on concrete floors. My cousin said “just get a portable floor” but those professional ones cost like a grand! Forget that. So I started thinking, could I maybe build something? Something actually portable for my Pad Dancing? Kept it simple: cheap wood that won’t bust the bank and can actually move.

The Hunt for Lumber

First step, haul my butt to the big box hardware store. Wandered the lumber aisles forever. Solid hardwood? Way too heavy and pricey. Plywood sheets? Thick ones felt like lifting a car. Then I saw it – the “larch” section. Had no clue what larch was, but the sign said it was okay for outside stuff, which I figured meant sturdy. Plus, it was way lighter than oak or maple. Grabbed a bunch of 1×6 boards – about 8 feet long each. Figured I could cut ’em down later. Also grabbed some smaller 1×2 pine strips for something else I had in mind.

Cutting and Rough Assembly Disaster

Got home, fired up my rusty old circular saw. Measured the space I usually practice in – roughly 4 feet by 6 feet. Marked my boards and started chopping. Tip: Measure twice, cut once? Felt more like measure thrice, cut once, swear twice. Got a few wonky cuts before things got kinda straight.

Plonked these cut larch boards down on my garage floor. Just laid ’em next to each other. Looked like a floor! Then I took one step… and the whole mess slid apart like greased snakes. Ugh. Total fail. They weren’t connected at all. Needed a frame or something to lock ’em together.

Getting Creative (& Sanding Forever)

Remembered those smaller pine strips. Cut them into four pieces – two at 4 feet, two at 6 feet. Placed them around the edge of my larch planks, like a picture frame. Grabbed my power drill and nailed some screws through the pine strips down into the ends of the larch boards. Took a few screws per plank end. Finally! The whole thing sorta held together as a rectangle when I lifted a corner.

Okay, structure done. Time to dance? Haha, nope. Tried a shuffle. Boards felt rough, even scratched my sock! Grabbed sandpaper – coarse stuff first. Started hand sanding. My arm felt like jello after ten minutes. Switched to my orbital sander (best thing I ever impulse bought). Clouds of dust! Wore a mask, seriously. Sanded like crazy. Boards felt smoother, kinda. Stopped when they weren’t shredding my socks anymore.

The Moment of Truth

Heaved this kinda heavy wooden rectangle outside to the patio (concrete again). Slid it down. Took a deep breath. Put on my practice shoes. Stepped on… solid. Did a basic stomp sequence… solid! Shuffled a bit… slides felt smooth, board didn’t shift! No knee pain bouncing! Did a full spin – the whole structure stayed put. The larch had just enough spring to feel good underfoot without being bouncy. Success! Well, good enough for my basement and patio practice.

Final Thoughts (Rough Edges)

Look, it’s NOT pretty. The screws are kinda visible on the top edge of the frame (forgot to countersink them like a pro). The edges of the larch boards aren’t perfectly seamless, so you feel a tiny ridge sometimes. And man, that pine frame got dinged up fast dragging it around. Plus, lifting this thing solo? It ain’t featherweight, let’s be real. But honestly? It cost me maybe sixty bucks in materials and an afternoon fighting with saws and sanders. It WORKS. Lets me practice on a non-concrete surface wherever I shove it. For now, the Larch Prototype (Level 1) is officially in service! Next challenge might be figuring out how to hinge the dang thing.